Here’s to Health and Happiness

As the old saying goes,” do as I say, not as I do.” When it comes to balancing work and a healthy lifestyle, this saying is certainly applicable to me. As much as I would like to have a fair balance of managing work, a healthy diet, exercise and time with family and friends, it has always been a challenge. I realize how critical maintaining this balance is to both happiness and success so although the new job and move have put me a bit off course, I am working my way to that path.

As leaders, we have the opportunity to create positive and supportive environments that build and promote team members health and well-being. It is important to not only encourage our team members professional development, but also support their personal and emotional health. It is a no brainer that happy and healthy employees are more productive, more loyal and support a positive bottom line.

Here are a few tips on how to foster this type of environment and promote a culture that supports its team members health and well-being:

Be calm and carry on: stress cannot only wreak havoc on your health but it can interfere with work performance and productivity. Lead by example and work on your own stress level. Take a vacation and/or a day off now and again and encourage your team to do the same.

Keep moving: encourage your employees to move about throughout the day. Instead of sitting in one-on-one conferences, take a walk around the building or campus as you talk through the issues at hand. Promote exercise by allowing employees to work it into their day, when possible. At Tampa General, our approach is to provide outlets for movement as part of our employee benefits. For example, we provide access to yoga, stretching classes, cycling and more.

Make it a teachable moment: offer classes on site from yoga to meditation to nutrition. Access to information and the tools to live healthier can be an incredibly effective way to engage and encourage team members.

Get off the bench: lead by example and participate in healthy living initiatives in your organization. You will not only feel better and more productive, but it will inspire your team members to do the same.

As I work to find more of a healthy balance in my own life and designate some time to nurture my own physical and mental health, and deploy these tactics within my own team, I encourage other managers to do the same. Not only will we feel more focused and on track, we can help shape our team members’ well-being and create a more positive, productive and happy environment.